Star Trek VoyagerDoctor Who Worst Case Scenario
by Celgress
Summary: What if instead of meeting Species 8472 during the events of Scorpion the Borg and the crew of the USS Voyager faced an even deadlier transdimensional threat the Daleks! Starts off like Scorpion Part I, then quickly goes AU.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek voyager are copyright Paramount Pictures. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Doctor Who are copyright the BBC. The Daleks are copyright the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

Star Trek Voyager/Doctor Who Crossover – Worst Case Scenario: Teaser

By

Celgress

Two massive Borg cubes approached a transdimensional rift. From within the rift emerge two golden saucers which were each almost as large as the Borg cubes. The Borg Cubes quickly attempted to scan the alien space crafts without success. The Borg Collective then issued it's standard greeting when approaching a potential acquisition.

"_We are the Borg existence as you know it is over. Lower your shields and surrender yourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us resistance is futile._

The response from the golden saucers was immediate. "_Daleks do not surrender to inferior cybernetic life forms. You have been declared enemies of the Daleks. You will be exterminated!_

The Borg cubes fired a volley of plasma torpedoes and phaser beams at the Dalek saucers. The Dalek saucers suffering no apparent ill effects fired their extermination beams directly at the centers of the Borg cubes. Within five seconds of concentrated fire the super structures of the Borg cubes began collapsing, by the twenty second mark the two cubes were space debris.

The two Dalek saucers, unfazed by the engagement, left the area. They were soon replaced by eight others freshly emerged from the rift. The invasion of the Delta Quadrant had started!

To Be Continued!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek voyager are copyright Paramount Pictures. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Doctor Who are copyright the BBC. The Daleks are copyright the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

Star Trek Voyager/Doctor Who Crossover – Worst Case Scenario: Chapter 1

By

Celgress

The Ready Room of USS Voyager

Kathryn Janeway took a deep breath before she began addressing the assembled senior staff. In many ways the briefing she was about to deliver had been inevitable since the USS Voyager had been thrown 75,000 light years away from Federation space into the depths of the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Still she had hoped with every fiber of her being that this day would never come that this briefing would never be delivered.

"At 06:00 ship time yesterday one of our long range probes abruptly stopped transmitting. At first those in Engineering suspected it was a mechanical fault however that theory proved incorrect, B'Elanna."

The young Chief Engineer snapped to her feet. She was by the Captain's side in an instant. Inputting a series of commands on the table mounted control system the large view screen behind Janeway and B'Elanna filled with an ominous image a massive Borg cube! The image swiftly grew until it bolted out the distant stars. The image then changed to that of a Borg drone who scanned the probe before terminating the transmission.

"Before the probe was terminated it sent back invaluable data. Perhaps most important is that we are less than a standard week away from a vast region of space which is apparently under the control of the Borg Collective." B'Elanna said, while fidgeting with her uniform.

"Thousands of solar systems inhabitants all Borg" Janeway continued. "There is nobody we are entering the heart of their territory. If we ever want to get home during our lifetimes there is no going around it, but there may be a way through it."

"The long range sensors of the probe, before it was disabled, discovered a narrow corridor of space devoid of Borg activity. We in Engineering have nicknamed it the North-West Passage." B'Elanna explained, the view screen now displayed a simulated map of the region in question.

"Why is it devoid of Borg activity?" Harry Kim asked.

"The area seems to be made up of a string of quantum singularise, which are generating intense gravimetric and electromagnetic disturbances." B'Elanna explained.

"Does this corridor run through the entirety of Borg Space?" Tuvok asked in his usual stoic manner.

"Yes, as far as we can tell it does" B'Elanna answered.

"I say we use it" Tom Paris said. "Better to ride the rapids than face the furry of the Hive."

"It is settled than" Janeway said. "Tom set a course for the North-West Passage maximum warp."

"I will introduce further security measures immediately." Tuvok said. "All phasers will we placed on random rotating modulations, however I suspect the Borg will adapt quickly."

"Mr. Neelix how is our food situation?" Chakotay asked the native of the Delta Quadrant. "I doubt we can resupply anytime soon."

"I'm working on a plan to extend our replicator rations, by supplementing them with food from the Hydroponics Bay." Neelix said, in a low voice. The usually jovial alien was not at all himself.

"Doctor have you learned anything that might help us from the Borg corpses we recovered a few months ago?" Chakotay asked the EMH.

"I'm closer to understanding how their assimilation technology works. In time my hope is to develop a defense of some type, an assimilation anti-body if you will" The Doctor said.

"Moving forward research into the Borg assimilation process is your top priority Doctor" Chakotay ordered

"The Borg have captured one of our probes, they know we are out here" Janeway said. "I will do everything in my power to avoid a direct confrontation. However if and when we do engage the Borg I want this ship ready, dismissed."

The Captain's office three days later

Chakotay entered the room to see Janeway pouring over a series of reports. The surface of her desk was undiscernible beneath the avalanche of data pads. Janeway took notice of her First Officer. Clearing his throat Chakotay spoke the following words.

"You've been shut up in here the better part of the last three days found anything interesting?"

"Sorry I didn't see you there" Janeway said with a start. "I've been going over every encounter the Federation has had with the Borg, everything from minor skirmishes to the massacre at Wolf 359 anything that might give me an insight into the nature of the Hive Mind."

"What have you learned?" Chakotay asked.

"Not much" Janeway admitted ruefully. "In the words of Jean-Luc Picard; 'in their collective state the Borg are utterly without mercy, drive by one will and one will alone the will to conquer. Then there is Captain Amisov of the Endeavor; 'it is my opinion that the Borg are the closest to pure evil of any species we have yet encountered."

Chakotay couldn't help but smile at Janeways quotations of the greats. Janeway noticing the reaction of her First Officer looked at him quizzically.

"What?"

"It is just you do a really good Amisov" Chakotay replied, the smile never leaving his lips. Janeway herself burst out laughing. It was a much need moment of levity. Little did either suspect it would be the last they'd have for a long time.

Sickbay one day later

"These injection tubules are the first step in the Borg assimilation process" The Doctor lectured Kes as he held up the dismembered hand of a deceased Borg drone. From the fingers of the eerie hand thin metallic tubes extended several centimeters. "They inject a series of nanoprobes into the victim's bloodstream. Once inside the nanoprobes take over the functions of the body's cells much like a virus."

"Can we create some type of shielding?" Kes asked the Doctor, "something that will keep the nanoprobes from entering the body."

"Unlikely, the injection tubules can puncture any known substance, chemical coating or energy field" The Doctor replied, shaking his head sadly. "No, our battle must be fought within. Kes I have an idea, please pass me another culture."

Kes was about to do what the Doctor asked when her world turn upside down. Kes' mind was bombarded with a rapid sequence of images: hundreds of dead Brog drones, golden saucers, a high pitched voices yelling 'exterminate', several flashes of intense white light and a strange alien creature (perhaps a robot?) that resembled a humanoid sized battle tank. When Kes regained control of her higher functions she found herself crouching on floor with the Doctor standing over her.

"Kes what happened? Are you alright?" The Doctor asked, helping Kes to her feet.

"I saw Borg, hundreds of them dead. There was something else with them, an alien unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of. I'm not sure maybe it was an artificial life form, a robot of some sort. Whatever it was it, and those like it, had caused the deaths of the Borg I'm certain of that much" Kes explained, gasping for breath.

"You've had a telepathic experience?" the Doctor asked, concern still evident. For once the Doctor was uncertain how to best proceed.

The Bridge a few hours later

Tuvok entered, an uncharacteristic look of bewilderment on his face. The Vulcan's appearance threw everyone momentarily off guard. Recovering somewhat Janeway asked.

"How is Kes?"

"Unsettled and uncertain" Tuvok said. "During the past several hours she has had a series of visions detailing the death of Borg and the destruction of Voyager."

"We've taken her vision seriously in the past" Chakotay said, looking at Tuvok and then at Janeway. "What should we do?"

"We can't just discount Kes' abilities. However I see no other option" Janeway said. "We should hold our course for the North-West Passage."

No sooner had Janeway spoken than the power on the bridge began to flicker, before failing altogether. Bathed in the dim glow of emergency lighting Janeway demanded an explanation. "Ensign Kim what is going on?"

"No idea sir we've just dropped out of warp" Harry frantically studied his readouts.

"Engineering what happened?" Chakotay demanded.

"We're unsure" stated the voice of B'Elanna. "Something both knocked us out of warp and is keeping us from creating a stable warp field. I've never seen anything like it sir."

"We've got company" Harry yelled. "Sensors are picking up one, no make that two Borg cubes no five, ten, fifteen Borg cubes" Harry finished a look of horror on his face.

"My God" Chakotay whispered as the view screen filled with approaching cubes.

The bridge rock and rolled as Voyager was tossed around like a dry leaf in windstorm. The wake caused by the Borg fleet was such that in completely nullified the sub-space fields of all other vessels near it. Finally the last of the cubes had passed by. The cube in question stopped momentarily to scan Voyager before rejoining its' brethren. The Borg vessels having departed the area the power levels of Voyager quickly returned to normal.

"If we needed any further evidence we are in Borg space we just got it" Chakotay said, as the bridge crew slowly regained their composure.

"I'll take this near miss as a good omen" Janway said. "Tom keep a sensor lock on that Borg Armanda. They seem in a hurry. I'd like to know what they are up to."

Two hours later the energy singles of Borg fleet suddenly ceased. After a round of speculation on what could have caused such an occurrence the crew decided to investigate. Arriving at the last known coordinates of the Borg fleet they made a startling discover. All fifteen Borg cubes had been reduced to rumble. Amongst one good sized chuck of debris sat a small, golden saucer. The saucer was docked, if you could call it that, with the remnants of the Borg vessel.

"What is it?" Chakotay asked, "a vessel of some sort, maybe a weapon?"

"I'd like to know what kind of weapon could do this to the Borg" Tom said, from his seat at navigation.

"Our sensors can't make heads nor tails of it" Harry said, "whatever it is, its' impervious to our technology."

"Send a standard greeting, all channels" Janeway ordered.

"No response" Harry said a few moments later.

"Is there a breathable atmosphere in the remnants of the cube?" Janeway asked.

"There is" Harry answered.

"Tuvok, Harry take an away team over there. We need to learn more about this thing" Janeway said. "Remember be careful, we have no idea what is going on here. At the first sign of danger return to Voyager at once."

"Understood" Tuvok said, with a curt nod.

Inside the fragment of Borg cube the away tem was greeted by a scene of utter chaos. Borg drones lay dead everywhere. Their bodies scattered throughout the rooms and passage ways. Approaching the junction where the Borg cube fragment was docked with the saucer a lone drone was attempting to assimilate the metallic substance of the docking ring of the saucer with no luck. Each time the Borg drone tried to penetrate the metal with it's injection tubules it was repealed by a sharp energy discharge of some unknown variety.

"Tuvok to Voyager" Tuvok said, activating his command badge. "There are two weapon signatures in the debris. One is Borg, the other is of unknown origins." Tuvok picked up several tiny flakes of golden metal off the floor. He carefully placed them in his pocket.

"Wait" Harry said, looking at the display on his beeping tricorder fearfully. "There is something in here with us, and its' not the Borg. A humanoid sized mass is approaching from within the debris."

The Borg drone that had been attempting the assimilation of the unknown docking ring quickly departed the area, as did all other functioning Borg drones, a Dalek its' copper finish shinning in the dim light rounded the corner. "_Halt identify yourself__"_

"Hello, I am Ensign Harry Kim of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager. On behalf of United Federation of planets I welcome you" Harry stepped toward the Dalek.

"_Halt"_ the Dalek repeated.

"It is okay we come in peace" Harry said, putting up his hands. "We just want to cooperate with you."

"_Daleks do no cooperate with inferior biological life forms. Daleks are the masters of inferior biological life forms. You are now prisoners of the Daleks. You will obey or be exterminated__" _the Dalek retorted.

"Wait just a minute" Harry said. "You can't do this. We only want to live in peace."

"Ensign do not antagonize the Dalek further" Tuvok ordered.

"_Surrender your weapons or be exterminated"_ the Dalek demanded. "_You will obey, obey, obey!"_

"No I will not" Harry said defiantly.

"Ensign do as it says, that is an order" Tuvok said, placing his own phraser rifle on the floor.

Harry hesitated dropping his phraser rifle for a split second. _"Exterminate, exterminate"_ shrieked the Dalek. A concentrated beam of blinding white light shot from the Dalek's upturned weapon. If not for the actions of Tuvok Ensign Harry Kim would surely have perished. Tuvok knocked Harry to the floor as a result the deadly beam of light only clipped Harry's body rather than hit him head on.

"Tuvok to Voyager beam us back, now!" The away team vanished before the Dalek could fire another extermination beam.

Back on Voyager Harry was taken to Sickbay. A few moments after the away team returned the Dalek saucer disengaged from the Borg debris field and fired a volley of extermination beams at Voyager. It was only the quick thinking of Tom Paris that allowed the ship to dodge most of the beams. An instant before Voyager entered warp the final extermination pulse hit the already damaged port warp nacelle shattering the structure less than ten seconds later. The explosion violently knocked Voyager out of warp sending the ship careening out of control for several minutes. Fortunately the brief period of warp speed had taken Voyager far enough away from the battle scene that the crew was no longer in any immediate danger.

Sickbay three hours later

"Why hasn't Ensign Kim regained consciousness?" Janeway asked the Doctor in a worried tone. Harry lay motionless on a bio-bed. His eyes closed. Synaptic probes on his forehand.

"The energy weapon that was used by the Dalek is unlike anything in my database" The Doctor explained grimly. "The closet analogy of its' affects would be a disruptor. However the weapon is far in advance of any disruptor we've previously encountered. Its' like his insides have been partially scrambled, the bio-electrical impulses of every cell short-circuited. Repairing Mr. Kim's injuries will take some creative thinking on my part, if they can be repaired at all. There is something else captain."

"What is it?"

"I've been examining one of the small scraps of Dalek material Tuvok retrieved"

"What have you discovered Doctor?"

"The alloy, if you can even call it that, is almost like a living organism. I highly suspect it has been grown not manufacture. I'm all but certain these Daleks are a form of cybernetic life. I think I've also discovered why the Borg cannot assimilate them. The material naturally generates a type of energy field that is akin to a combination shield and subspace dampening field in short it is a type of extremely advanced multiphasic subspace field with a possible temporal component."

"Temporal?" Janeway asked her face full of confusion.

"Yes, the material has an unusually high concentration of chroniton particles. The concentration is so high in fact that I highly doubt it is naturally occurring. Furthermore the chroniton particles have infused the material to such an extent that it has reached the saturation point. They could even be responsible for the usual properties of the material I've just told you about. When the Borg nanoprobes are injected into the material the multiphasic subspace field nearly instantly overwhelms and destroys them. In this case resistance is far from futile."

"Captain could you come to bridge" said the voice of Chakotay over her com badge. "There is something you should see."

"On my way" Janeway said leaving Sickbay. A short while later she reached the Bridge. "What is it?" she asked Chakotay and B'Elanna. The two officers where gathered around a work station.

"We've analysed the tactical data the away team recovered from the wreckage of the Borg cube" B'Elanna explained, as a series of images flashed across the nearby screen. "The Borg call these new aliens Species 8499 Daleks. The Borg have encountered them a dozen times in the past month. Each time the Borg have been defeated quickly."

"Do we know where these Daleks originate?" Janeway asked.

"I'm afraid so, the North-West Passage" Chakotay said, his face full of regret.

"Oh no" Janeway said, her voice barely a whispered.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers

All characters appearing in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager are copyright Paramount Pictures. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All characters appearing in Doctor Who are copyright the BBC. The Daleks are copyright the BBC and the estate of Terry Nation. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters are the property of Celgress.

Star Trek Voyager/Doctor Who Crossover – Worst Case Scenario: Chapter 2

By

Celgress

"Primitive savages that's what they call us, isn't it?"

"Could primitive savages snuff out stars, destroy entire galaxies?"

Bloodmist – Andromeda, The Widening Gyre (2001)

The bridge of the USS Voyager

Captain Katherine Janeway felt a rising lump in her throat. Displayed on the main view screen was a scene straight out of the cheesy, b-horror movies from 20th Century Earth that Navigator Tom Paris was so fond of watching. Unfortunately what danced before the shocked eyes of Katherine Janeway was no 20th Century illusion. Rather it was the beginnings of an all-out invasion of the Delta Quadrant by a hostile alien menace, an evil force potentially even more destructive than the Borg Collective.

The very thought sent a shiver down Captain Janeway's spine. The Borg, since their first encounter with Star Fleet in system J-25 over seven years ago, had been the measuring stick against which all other threats were judged. Could these Daleks truly pose an even greater risk to both the Federation and the Galaxy as a whole? They certainly seemed more powerful than the Borg, and at least as malevolent.

Perhaps they had merely gotten off on the wrong foot. Yes that was possible. Many first contacts had dissolved into open hostilities because of cultural misunderstandings. In spite of her better judgement Captain Janeway took a deep breath she then spoke the following command.

"Open a channel all frequencies. I wish to speak with the Daleks."

"Captain, I don't think you should do this" Kes said from where she stood beside Tuvok. "My psychic impressions of the Daleks indicate they are not interested in negotiating with us, or anyone else from own dimension."

"Your objections are noted Kes, still I must try. Daleks this is Captain Katherine Janeway of the Federation vessel USS Voyager. We wish to open negotiates between our two peoples. We, like you, are enemies of the Borg Collective we propose an alliance."

For several moments there was silence. The view of multiple Dalek Saucers flanked by streams of individual Daleks dominated the ribbon of space nicknamed the 'North-West Passage' by the crew of Voyager. Abruptly the image changed. The main view screen now displayed a nondescript, amber colored room containing three Daleks, from left to right their colors were red, white & yellow. The middle White Dalek spoke.

"You propose an alliance between the Daleks and yourselves directed against the Borg?"

"Correct" Janeway said, holding her breath in anticipation. She didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Request denied!" screeched the White Dalek. "Daleks do not require the aid of primitive, inferior, biological entities! You will be exterminated!"

"Exterminate, exterminate, exterminate!" The Red & Yellow Daleks bellowed joining in as the image of the trio and their dwelling place blinked out of existence.

The nearest Dalek Saucer broke off from the North-West Passage and fired on Voyager. It was swiftly joined by several dozen Daleks who also fired on the Starfleet vessel. Facing a barrage of extermination pulses from the angry Daleks Captain Janeway had no choice but to order a hasty retreat. Luckily the Daleks and their Saucer only pursued the already crippled ship, the partially destroyed port warp nacelle was still out and would take weeks to fully repair, a short distance, basically until Voyager was out of short term senor range of the area around the Dalek dominated corridor. Voyager had gotten off lucky still their shields had been clipped by two full powered extermination pulses courtesy of the Saucer. The pulses overloaded and shorted out the main shield matrix as well as the backup.

The Ready Room of USS Voyager several hours later

"It'll take three days to unscramble the primary shield matrix" B'Elanna Torres reported to the assembled Senior Crew. "Those Dalek weapons certainly pack a punch. Near as we can figure the 'extermination' pulses are one part disruptor and one part plasma shot, with some type of temporal component thrown in."

"Can our shields be modified to offer some protection from this weapon?" Tuvok asked.

"Unlikely, the mechanics of the weapon is just too complex traditional shields don't stand a chance" B'Elanna Torres answered, shaking her head.

"What about using non-traditional shielding?" Chakotay offered. "While serving in the Maquis we often had to extensively modify shields so our vessels could survive in the plasma storms of the Bad Lands for extended periods. B'Elanna, could we apply some of those same tactics here?

"Anything is possible I'll have my staff look into it right away."

"Doctor please update us on the condition of Ensign Kim?" Captain Janeway said.

All attention turned towards the overhead view screen which displayed the somber countenance of the EMH. "Ensign Kim's condition continues to rapidly deteriorate. His synaptic functions are damaged beyond repair. His bodily functions are not in much better shape. There is nothing more I can do for him. In essence Mr. Kim is brain dead. If any of you wish to say goodbye, I advise you do it soon."

"Permission to be excused" Tom Paris asked the second the Doctor had finished his briefing.

"Permission deferred" Captain Janeway said. "Tom we all know how you feel about Harry, but right now I need all my senior staff here. We have some difficult decisions ahead, decisions that will affect the lives of everyone on this vessel. I require your input, your help. Kes please tell us everything you have psychically learned about the Daleks."

Kes rose to her feet taking in the expected gazes of the assembled Senior Crew members before launching into her explanation "They were originally from another dimension, a universe where they vied with another, equally advanced, species for control. After a terrible mutually destructive war the Daleks emerged victorious, utterly destroying their foes, though just barely. Most of the remaining Daleks were then driven into the Void, a type of transdimensional limo, by their sole surviving enemy a being called the 'Doctor'. They waited in the Void, rebuilding their forces, for many centuries until an opportunity for escape presented itself. Freed from their imprisonment they've decided to conquer our universe. I sense a burning hatred. All other beings are inferior and shall either be enslaved for the greater glory of the Dalek Empire or outright exterminated. They plan on destroying everything and everyone. It isn't the Borg we should be worried about, it is the Daleks." After delivering the terrible proclamation Kes took her seat.

"We could always turn around get ourselves out of harm's way, let them fight it out" Chakotay offered breaking the eerie silence that had pervaded the Ready Room since Kes' speech. "There is still plenty of Delta Quadrant to explore. Who knows we could even find another way home."

Captain Janeway wasn't buying her first officer's argument. "Or we could find something else. Six months, a year, maybe several years down the road when Species 8499 Daleks are through with the Borg we could find ourselves right back in the line or fire."

"What do you suggest we do?" Chakotay asked his commanding officer. "I honestly do not see another option, we can't even defend ourselves against the Daleks. Are weapons and shields are less than useless against them and their firepower. As things currently stand facing them again would mean certain death."

"I know the risks involved commander" Captain Janeway said, using Chakotay's formal rank an indication she was rapidly losing her cool. Her voice increased in volume as she slowly rose from her chair. "I'm not willing to give up on ever getting this crew home. I made a promise to all of you, and perhaps more importantly to myself after we were forced to destroy the Caretaker's Array that I would get this crew home no matter the costs. I'll be damned if some dimension hopping menace we've never heard of before will make me break that promise! Until further notice, you are all dismissed!"

At the official conclusion of the meeting everyone scattered. Tuvok and Neelix both hesitated for a moment unsure of what to do next. One look at their Captain's face told them they were not needed. The two stragglers quickly joined the retreating throng. Captain Janeway remained alone in the Ready Room for some time quietly watching the stars while pondering the cruel twists fate can unexpectedly take.

Sickbay fifteen minutes later

"It shouldn't be this way" Tom Paris said looking down at the unconscious Harry Kim. "I was always the risk taker. The one who laughed in the face of danger, the no good sob who for years on end didn't give a damn about anyone. You were everything I could never be the perfect student, the model ensign, the good son. You shouldn't be laying here dying, it should be me. If anyone deserves to pay the price of hubris it is me. I should be the one dying, not you Harry."

"Talking like this won't change the fact Harry is dying and you aren't". B'Elanna Torres said, giving Tom's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We both know Harry wouldn't want this. You shouldn't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault Tom. It wasn't any of our faults."

"Who should I blame B'Elanna, who?" Tom Paris said looking at her through tear soaked eyes. "Whose fault is it, huh? Tell me that."

"The Daleks" B'Elanna answered, her voice hardly a voice. "They did this. They're no better than the Cardassians driving people from their homes because of some twist sense of entitlement based upon a genocidal superiority complex. If you must blame anyone, blame them."

"What good will that do? We both know we can't even fight back against them. We are defenceless."

"For the time being, however I'm sure we'll eventually learn their weak point and when we do."

"What, what do we do then?"

"We make them pay."

Forty minutes later the Senior Staff and as many of the regular crew as could fit into Sick Bay clustered around the bio-bed on which Harry Kim laid. The Doctor nodded at Kes who was holding a stylist and a data pad. The Doctor checked then rechecked by Harry's vitals and the chronometer of the USS Voyager.

"Time of death is 17:44 ship time."

The Doctor gently draped a white sheet over Harry Kim's dead body. Several members of the crew openly wept, others turned away. Tom Paris stormed out of the room, B'Elanna Torres in pursuit. Captain Janeway readied herself to deliver a speech, even though she was numb with grief. Clearing her throat Janeway began.

"When we joined Voyager each of us knew the risks involved. Each of us knew we might never see the end of our journey. Harry Kim knew this, and I knew this. Harry was a like the son I never had. He was like a bright light in a dark room. He always brought out the best in those around him. His youthful enthusiasm was infectious. He touched each of us deeply, and we are better people for having known him. More than anything else Harry wanted to get home. I promise you, my son, that no matter what I will get this crew, our family, home." Captain Janeway kissed the tips of her fingers then pressed them against the portion of the sheet covering Harry's forehead. Captain Janeway felt light head and weak in the knees. Her resolve almost failing her, she plowed on. "H-Harry, Harry was many things but never a quitter. I will not let fear rule the actions of this crew, this family,,, even if that fear is justified. We must overcome it."

The Captain's office afternoon two days later

Presiding over Harry Kim's funeral had been the hardest thing Captain Janeway had done since taking command of the USS Voyager. While there had been many deaths since the fateful day they had been dragged into the Delta Quadrant none of them had felt so personal. Perhaps it was because Ensign Kim had been a long time member of the bridge crew? Perhaps it was because of the personal bond he shared with so many? Perhaps it was because of his youth, or perhaps it was Harry's positive personality? Whatever the case this death felt unlike any other, it was raw more visceral more real.

Captain Janeway had barely finished the service before collapsing. The Doctor had examined her and declared the incident stress related. The Doctor had proscribed a strict regimen of bed rest, which would only end once he declared Captain Janeway once again fit for active duty. Now the afternoon following the service she lay in her bed being briefed by Chakotay.

"The good news we haven't detected anymore Dalek or Borg energy singles on short range sensors. The bad news long range sensors indicate the area directly ahead of our current position is still crawling with Borg and Dalek vessels. Engineering still can't produce shields that are effective against the Dalek weapon."

Captain Janeway sighed "What about the small pieces of Dalek material that Tuvok retrived from our first encounter, have either B'Elanna or the Doctor discovered anything more about it?"

"I'm afraid not, though the Doctor is experimenting with re-coded Borg nanoprobes. He feels if the nanoprobes can mimic the same bio-temporal signature as the material they could attack the Daleks unnoticed on a microscopic level. So far, it is the only lead we have" Chakotay said with a weak smile. "I'll keep you informed." Chakotay departed the room leaving Captain Janeway with her turbulent thoughts.

The following day Captain Janeway felt bored. Against the Doctor's orders she entered the Holodeck. She ran he favorite program. The one in which she was an aspiring apprentice to the legendary ancient Earth master Leonardo da Vinci. Though she hadn't ran the program in over a week her mind found no enjoyment there. After explaining her plight to the holographic de Vinci, who suggested she pray with him, Janeway came to a startling revelation. An option she hadn't considered before. After conferring with the Doctor who had just recently had some limited success with several re-coded Borg nanoprobes. Captain Janeway called together her Senior Staff in the Ready Room, she laid out her audacious new plan. Upon hearing what she had in mind Tom Paris was the first to react.

"An alliance with the Borg?"

"More like an exchange" Captain Janeway said. "The Doctor has discovered a means, using modified Borg nanoprobes, by which we can attack the material the Daleks are made up of on a microscopic level. The Borg learn by assimilating. What they cannot assimilate, like the Daleks, they cannot understand. We however learn by investigating. In this case that gives us the edge. We can offer the Borg a means of defeating the Daleks in exchange for granting us safe passage through their space."

"Excuse me Captain but the Borg aren't exactly known for their diplomacy. How can we expect them to cooperate?" Neelix asked.

"Normally they wouldn't cooperate with us" Kes said. "However considering what I have learned from the Daleks the Borg are in danger not only of being defeated but of being totally destroyed."

"In one instance the Borg are no different than we are. They are trying to survive" Captain Janeway said. "Voyager is one ship our safety is a small price to pay for their continued existence. I do not think they will pass up this opportunity."

"What is to prevent the Borg from obtaining the knowledge by simply assimilating Voyager and her crew?" Tuvok asked.

"Because that won't get them anywhere" Captain Janeway replied. "All of the research is stored in the Doctor's holo-matrix if the Borg threaten us I'll delete it. I am aware this is an unnerving prospect however I've made the decision, assuming the Borg agree, we are going to make this alliance work. Everyone is dismissed until further notice." Everyone left the Ready Room except for Chakotay.

"What is it Chakotay?"

"I didn't want to say anything in front of the others. I think we are making a serious mistake if we go through with your idea of an alliance with the Borg."

"Why do you think so?"

"The Borg cannot be trusted. You know it, I know, they know it."

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree. However these are far from normal circumstances. As far as we know the Borg have never been so threatened, they are vulnerable Chakotay."

"My people have a saying a wounded predator is the most dangerous kind."

"The Borg are not mindless beasts."

"You're right, they are worse. We can't help them Katherine they've killed and enslaved countless trillions, helping them survive by potentially assimilating another species is wrong."

"Tell that to Harry Kim. Getting the Daleks assimilated might not be such a bad idea. We'd be doing the Delta Quadrant, and the entire Galaxy, a favor."

"My father told me a story once and I never forgot it" Chakotay said. "A Fox was on the bank of a deep, swift wondering how he could get to the other side when he noticed a Scorpion. The Scorpion asked the Fox if the Fox would carry the Scorpion across the river on his back. The Fox at first refused fearing the Scorpion would sting him. The Scorpion told the Fox such a fear was groundless because if he did that they'd both drown. The Fox allowed the Scorpion to climb on the Fox's back. Sure enough halfway across the river the Scorpion stung the Fox. As his body filled with venom the Fox asked the Scorpion why he'd done it as now they would both die. The Scorpion answered that he couldn't help it to sting was his nature."

"I know the risks Chakotay. I'm not suggesting we try to change the nature of the Borg. Only that we take advantage of the opportunity that is right in front of us. We just have to have the courage to see this through."

"There are other kinds of courage Katherine. Like admitting not all problems have an immediate solution. I'm sorry. I can't support an alliance with the Borg" Chakotay said before leaving the Ready Room.

"I guess I truly am alone" Captain Janeway mumbles to the empty air as the automatic door whizzes shut behind Chakotay.

To Be Continued


End file.
